Master-Slave Electronic Device with Identifier-Based Interrupt Encoding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic devices face challenges in quickly identifying which slave device is asserting an interrupt request, particularly when the number of slaves increases, leading to increased line requirements and prolonged scanning times.
Innovation Solution
The electronic device employs a master-slave architecture with unique multi-slave addresses (MSAs) and an encoder that shifts the bit representing interrupt status based on the assigned MSA, allowing the master to identify the interrupting slave efficiently without additional lines or time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the number of slave devices is increased, then the system capacity is improved, but the scanning time to identify the interrupting slave increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a time-based sequential scanning approach to a spatial encoding approach. Each slave device's identifier is encoded into the position of a bit within a parallel data structure (the first signal), allowing the master device to identify the interrupting slave in a single operation rather than through sequential scanning over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a bit sequence that is transmitted as a copy of the slave identifier information. The encoder creates a bit representation of the MSA, and this bit sequence is transmitted to the master device, allowing the master to identify the interrupting slave through the copied information rather than through direct interaction with each slave.
2Quantity of substance
If the number of slave devices is increased, then the system capacity is improved, but the number of additional lines required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the identifier information and interrupt status into a single first signal that is transmitted from each slave device to the master device. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate lines for identifier transmission and interrupt status, reducing the overall number of lines required as the system scales.
Solution Approach 2:
The first signal serves multiple functions simultaneously: it carries the interrupt status information, the slave device identifier, and the position-encoded identification all in one transmission. This multi-functionality reduces the need for dedicated lines for each type of information exchange.
3Measurement precision
If pulse width encoding is used to identify slave groups, then the interrupt priority can be determined, but the time to scan individual slaves within a group increases
Solution Approach 1:
The encoder pre-processes the slave identifier information into a bit sequence with the interrupt status bit positioned according to the MSA. This preliminary encoding action allows the master device to identify the interrupting slave immediately upon receiving the first signal, without needing to perform time-consuming sequential scanning of individual slaves within a group.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device includes: a master, and a plurality of slaves to which a plurality of mutually different identifiers is assigned respectively, wherein each slave of the plurality of slaves transmits, to the master, a first signal representing a bit sequence containing a bit representing whether or not an interrupt is occurring in that slave and changes a position of the bit based on the identifier assigned to the slave.